站住脚 (zhàn zhù jiǎ) — to stop; to halt (one's steps); to hold one's ground; to stand firm; to be tenable; to hold water (of arguments, theories)

Definition

Literally 'plant one's feet': 站住脚 is a figurative verb meaning to hold one's ground or for an argument to be tenable, not just to physically stop. As a separable verb, 站 and 脚 can split for negation (站不住脚) or aspect (站得住脚).

verb
to stopto halt (one's steps)to hold one's groundto stand firmto be tenableto hold water (of arguments, theories)

Examples

  • 。
    Nǐ de shuō fǎ zhàn bú zhù jiǎo.
    Your argument doesn't hold water.
  • ，。
    Tā tīng dào hòu miàn yǒu rén hǎn, lì kè zhàn zhù le jiǎo.
    He heard someone shout behind him and immediately stopped in his tracks.
  • ，。
    Zài zhè jiàn shì shàng, tā shǐ zhōng zhàn bú zhù jiǎo.
    On this matter, he could never hold his ground.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

站住stand firm
站zhànstand住zhùfirm
补充Verb + complement
脚jiǎofoot

“站” stand, “住” firm, and “脚” foot suggest feet standing firm.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
立立lì
Sound part声符shēngfú
占
占zhàn站zhàn
Same sound today

站 has 立 on the left and 占 on the right; 立 relates to standing, and 占 gives the sound.

Open 站 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
主
主zhǔ住zhù
Same sound today

住 pairs 亻, the person radical (written fully as 人), with 主, which supplies the sound.

Open 住 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 腳; 脚 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
⺼Written in full as肉ròumeat, body
Sound part声符shēngfú
卻
卻què腳jiǎo
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 腳 uses ⺼ for a body part and 卻 for the sound; the simplified 脚 is a later shorthand.

Open 脚 →

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